THE BOLDNESS OF THE TRANSFORMED LIFE
ACTS 4:13-31
READ v. 13-14
There had to be some explanation for the healing of the lame man. Peter & John were uneducated and untrained men. They had not been trained in the professional rabbinical schools of Hillel or Shammai. Where did they get their wisdom and clear, precise speech?
Do you see the progression of understanding that is coming to the Sanhedrin? They ƒasawƒ` the boldness of Peter & John...they realized that they were ordinary laymen...they were ƒaastonishedƒ` at what they were able to say and do...and they realized, or took note that these men had been with Jesus. A remarkable compliment!
The same can be true for us. A Christ-captivated life enables us to live an extraordinary life. We are ƒanotƒ` limited to the confines of our own intellect or talent. The secret is Christ in us!
Paul discovered this and spoke of the wonder of the transformed life when he wrote to the Colossians. He said that the mystery was hidden for ages but now it was evident in Christ's people...
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Just what does that Scripture mean to you...the hope of glory?? For some reason I always associated that with hope of heaven. Someday we'll be "over in glory"...there are even songs that speak about being in glory land.
But I looked up that word because often I use the word "glory" as a term of praise when I just get excited and happy about something God is doing or that God is saying either through His word or through a sermon or whatever.
Well, the word glory means "beauty, power, or honor; a quality of God's character that emphasizes His greatness and authority. It is used in three senses in the Bible.
First - has to do with the perfection of God's character, one that we all fall short of, and that according to Ps. 113:4 is beyond mans understanding.
Second - Praise. At times glory may mean the honor and audible praise which God's creatures give Him (Ps. 115:1 and Rev. 5:12-13)
Third - is God's moral beauty and perfection as a visible presence. While God's glory is not a substance, at times God does reveal His perfection to man in a visible way. This is often seen as fire or dazzling light, but sometimes as an act of power. (Exodus, Lev. I Kings)
But since the close of the Old Testament, the glory of God has been shown mainly in Christ and in the members of His church. Christ now shares His divine glory with His followers (John 17) so that in their lives Christians are being transformed into the glorious image of God.
Glory is visible...clearly evident. Christ is seen in us as He transforms us into His own image. That is what they saw in Peter and John. Even in their hatred and their prejudice, the members of the Sanhedrin saw in them the glory of Christ.
The secret of the Christian life is not only that we have been with Jesus, but that He is in us! There should be daily amazement - first in us - and then in others, at what we are able to discern...dare... and do.
Christ in us is the inner source of wisdom beyond human intelligence discernment that goes beyond comprehension...love that goes beyond our cautious affection...and truth that goes beyond our experience. The deeper we grow in Christ, the more people will be forced to wonder.
But most of all there will be changed lives all around us because of Christ in us. The apostles had the lame man as evidence that Christ had used them as agents of healing. And yet the greatest is in the conversion and transformation of a person with whom we have shared the love of Christ.
When we give ourselves away in caring, costly relationships of affirmation and encouragement with those who do not know Christ, He uses us to model His power and introduce them to Him. People will live forever because of the Lord's ministry to them - through us!
And ƒaChristƒ` will get the glory! We can enjoy being a channel of His grace, but all the compliments and adulation go to Him. Our reward is a boldness in knowing who we are...whose we are...and for what we are born.
People will see...you can be sure of that. They will wonder what has happened to us...they will marvel at what has happened around us, and finally...they will realize what is happening in us. JESUS. There can be no other explanation.
But does that mean that things will go along smoothly...that once we become a Spirit-filled Christian and set out to serve Him with all our hearts that life will be one glorious miracle after another?
Is the prosperity "good-time" gospel that many preach today really true? Can we just rebuke every bad thing out of our way that may hinder us or oppose us, or make our road a rough and troublesome one?
Let's read on...vs. 15-22
Opposition makes clear our boldness. Difficulties deepen our determination. Conflict forces us to clarify the deepest truth of what we really believe.
The ruling of the Sanhedrin was a gift of God! The command against speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus solidified the apostles and the church in a courageous witness in a way that could never have happened without opposition.
Peter and John had to decide whether to be obedient to God or to the Sanhedrin. Now they could understand the essence of what Jesus meant when He challenged them to seek first the kingdom of God...and put Him first before family, friends, recognition, or popularity.
I don't know of any truly bold person who has not experienced the hard reality of that decision. When we know who we are and what we are to do because of a prolonged time in prayer, we can play to the right audience.
Pressure comes in our lives when we try to please everyone. Our insecurity often makes life a popularity contest and we must win the approval of people at any cost. The cost is always excessive. What are some of the things you've given away to win approval (purity...)
We live in a time when strong convictions about anything are suspect. We are expected to keep an "open mind" about everything...even things like religion...abortion...safe sex...and on & on.
But be careful about being too open minded, because your brain might "fall out" and you'll lose all sense of right and wrong. When the issues are focused...we're forced to discover the real center of our security in Christ.
Praise God for opposition! Lives are not changed without it... churches aren't renewed without it's pain...and we don't become the toughened disciples we are meant to be without it's sharpening discipline.
The opposition of the Sanhedrin has given us a motto for courageous living. We would be far less without it. Peter and John's response to the threats of the frightened high priest should be memorized and kept ready for the tight places in life when we're tempted to give in or give up.
"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
The impact of these words have echoed through the ages. Martyrs, brave saints under persecution, and hassled reformers have said with Luther, "Here I stand, I can do no other!"
**Don't miss the fact that it was what the apostles had seen and heard that prompted their statement. That encompassed their life with Jesus, His death for them, the resurrection, Pentecost, and a miracle done through them.
There should be nothing less for us! We have all that - and more. The Lord wants to amaze us...so that we can amaze the world. Wherever we are in our growth in Christ, there's a next step to take today.
We all have problems that ache for solutions. Difficult people are in each of our lives....Some of us need healing. The Lord is going to break through! He will meet our needs beyond our wildest dreams.
All so that our gratitude can be expressed by speaking "the things which we have seen and heard."
READ V. 23-31
We are amazed by the response of the church to Peter and John's report of the threats of the Sanhedrin. They narrowly escaped imprisonment and physical punishment - even death, if the chief priest could have found a way.
The church did not respond with fear, anxiety, or a desire for safety. Instead they went to prayer. Their prayer time is a model of prayer for sustained boldness. In this portion of Scripture I want to look at this prayer and highlight the convictions it expressed.
1. The underlying conviction of the absolute sovereignty of God.
Much can be learned about people in the way they address God in their prayers. READ v. 24
The Greek word used here for Lord is different from the one used elsewhere in the N.T. to express a believer's reverence. The word is "despota" which means "absolute ruler, final sovereign, master."
The faith of the church was that the Lord was in charge of all things. He was creator and sustainer of all things. Nothing happens without His knowledge...and He can use all things for His purposes & glory. That led to the second conviction.
2. Opposition and Threats. What they had endured had happened to the Lord's people through the ages. They could not put their trust in people.
Their experience was like that of David long before. His question in Psalm 2:1-2 which is repeated in their prayer, gave them great comfort. The church was in good company.
God's faithful people have always been in trouble. It was the acid test that they were obeying God rather than men. We wonder if Jesus' words about persecution stirred them as they prayed. He said those who were persecuted for righteousness sake would be blessed.
3. The assurance of God's overruling. We can take anything if we know that God is in charge and will intervene. The next section of the prayer dealt with what happened to Jesus.
God had allowed the cross for the sins of the world, and followed it with the victory of the resurrection. This is why the church could pray...v 27-28
Jesus was not alone. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The central source of the courage of the early church was this...If God could overrule the worst that man had done and give His best...He could use anything that happened to them.
He is able to bring good out of evil. There is a purpose to everything if we trust Him. He wastes nothing. There is an ultimate strategy. We can never drift beyond His intervening and overruling care.
The final conviction of the church's prayer was that God would confirm the witness of the church with a continuation of signs and wonders.
They expected miracles to accompany their preaching.
That's why they prayed for more boldness and more manifestations of the Holy Spirit's power...for further visible proof that God had heard their prayer for courage. Amazing.
They prayed for the Lord to continue the healings which had caused such trouble. The spectacular events spread across the pages of Acts can be traced back to praying like that.
It forces us to evaluate our prayers. When have we asked for boldness and for signs and wonders to be performed through us? The Lord is more ready to give both than we are to ask.
The Lord's answer to the prayer of the church is what we can dare to anticipate. The room where they were assembled was shaken - an outward indication of the Lord's presence in the Holy Spirit.
Look at v. 31...
Exactly what they had prayed for. Again, Luke uses the word "filled" to show that on this occasion a special filling occurred and boldness resulted. Boldness is the outer sign of the possession of the Holy Spirit's anointing.
We need to picture ourselves as bold people. How would we act; what would we say; what would we dare? Perhaps it's an act of love which we've resisted doing, or an opportunity to share our faith which has been neglected because of embarrassment or being timid.
Or perhaps it's forgiveness we need to express...or taking a stand and speaking out exactly what we believe. Most of all, it's following the Lord's guidance with faithfulness and obedience, regardless of the cost.
Ask for a special in-filling of the Holy Spirit. He's faithful. He will give us power to speak and act with boldness.
